EPA has adopted new performance standards for the AOAC Use-dilution Methods for Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrobial pesticide registrants and the laboratories that provide data to support their registrations should begin using the new standards. The new AOAC UDM performance standards will help ensure that EPA-registered antimicrobial pesticides are effective against the target microbes, which is especially critical in health care settings.

AOAC INTERNATIONAL is a scientific association, which publishes standardized, chemical analysis methods designed to increase confidence in results of chemical and microbiologic analyses.

EPA’s Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee met by webinar on December 4-6, 2013. The PPDC addressed a number of pesticide issues at this meeting, including: 1) an ESA update focused on implementing the NAS/NRC report on pesticide ESA consultations; 2) an update from the Pollinator Protection Workgroup; and 3) an EDSP update. Relevant documents, including power point presentations, are available here.